Thirty Days
by RossLover2012
Summary: Thirty days is all Ally and Austin have left. In thirty days, the world is going to end. Everything Ally planned for her future is pointless now, and all she can do is live like there's no tomorrow... or next month. What happens when Austin and Ally decide that the only people they want to spend their last days with, is eachother. BETTER THAN IT SOUNDS! OOC Auslly. Author of Mayday
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One: Part 1.**

_The last _normal_ day on earth._

Here I was, waking up, doing my usual routine which involved; hitting the snooze button, enjoying another five minutes of sleep, then moaning as I roll out of my bed and then walk my zombie self to the bathroom, where I look at my reflection in the mirror, horrified. I proceed to brush my teeth, tame my wild main, take out my retainer and then go back into my room to pick out an outfit. It was just another day, so I thought; but boy was I seriously wrong.

I walk through the front doors of my high school, Lincoln high, confident and glowing. It was June first, and sophomore year was so close to ending, and you could tell that by everyone's moods. There's just this cheeriness in the air that I can't explain, and I don't mind it at all.

I pry open my locker and grab my history book and notebook that goes with it. I slam my door shut and walk to my class. There seems to be a little skip in my step today and I know that I probably look like a big idiot right now, but I could care less. This horrible year is almost over, and I just know that next school year things will be different. I'll be a junior, and shy Ally is going to be gone, I can just tell.

I take my usual seat next to my friend Austin. We've been friends since the beginning of the year, but mainly school friends if you know what I mean. We don't really talk outside of school. As a matter of fact, I don't really have any friends outside of school. I usually just go home and do homework or I'm in a few clubs after school and then I have to go straight home. But I swear that I'm going to change that next year.

"Good morning." Austin says to me, handing me a pencil. He knows I always forget mine so he brings in extras every day.

I take it from him and grin, "Good morning Austin."

Before we can chat any longer, our teacher, Mrs. O does her usual tap her ruler against the desk to signal class is about to start. I open up my note book and wait for her to start talking. But right when she's about to open her mouth, the loud speaker throughout the school turns on, "This is your principal, everyone please report to the gymnasium immediately. I repeat, students, faculty, staff, everyone report to the gymnasium immediately."

Everyone looks at each other and the roar of different conversations erupts in the classroom. Austin looks at me confused and I mirror his expression. Mrs. O yells at us, getting our attention. We follow her in one big group out of the classroom, where the rest of the student body is now making their way to the gym. Austin walks beside me, his hands shoved in his pockets, "I wonder what the hell is going on?" he says. I just shrug in response, a million things going through my mind. What _is_ going on?

When everyone is finally seated, our principal walks in and the whole gym goes completely silence. All you hear is the echo of his feet as he walks up the stairs to the stage and then adjusts his microphone. He clears his throat and unfolds a piece of paper he took out from his jacket pocket, "Students, staff, faculty. I have called you all in here because we have received some news that we thought would be easier to tell all of you now that we are under the same roof. What you are about to hear is very devastating, confusing, and a lot of other things. Please, try to control yourselves after I am done talking."

I turn to Austin, but his eyes are fixated on our principal, who is now taking a deep breath. The room is so silent, I can hear my own heart beating a mile a minute, anticipating what is about to come out of this bald dude's mouth, and what does, I never in a million years expected, "A 70-mile-wide asteroid is on a collision course with Earth. The space shuttle deliverer has failed on a mission to destroy it. The world has thirty days until impact, at which time all of humanity will be wiped out."

It's funny that he asked us all to control ourselves after he said it, like he expected some sort of outpour of emotions, but everyone stayed completely still and quiet. I swear nobody moved an inch, it was like somebody hit the pause button on some giant remote somewhere. It's also funny because I am one of the people who is just sitting here completely dumbfounded. Is this some sort of sick joke? It can't be. Why would the principal lie to all of us like that?

"Um, well, you may all go home now. There's no point in having school anymore. It's been a great twenty years here, and all you kids mean a lot to me. I hope your last thirty days is all you've ever dreamed of." He says, and with that he walks off the stage.

Thirty days? Just thirty days left on this earth? And then we're all going to _die_? What about junior year? What about everything I've ever dreamed of? What about growing up? Having kids? Getting married? Falling in love? What about living for many more years? That's not possible anymore, none of its possible.

"Ally, are you okay?" I hear Austin's voice next to me.

I look around me and somebody must have pushed the play button because everyone was walking around, talking, leaving, freaking out. I turn to Austin and he's standing up, looking down at me. Was I the only one left sitting? I stand up and look up at him still, he's much taller than I, "Am I dreaming?" I ask.

He shakes his head frantically, looking me in the eyes, his face full of fear, "No."

He grabs my hand and pulls me through the crowd in the gym, through the busy halls, and outside of the school completely, where many parents were already parked, waiting for their kids. This has to have been announced on the news already.

Austin pulls me to a nearby bench and sits down next to me. He brings his hands to his face and mumbles something incomprehensible into them and I continue to stare straight ahead. I watch families pick up their children at school, crying or yelling or freaking out, some are even calm. This whole this is completely sickening.

"I can't believe this." I say out loud.

"The world is literally ending in thirty days." Austin replies back.

"What are we going to do?" I ask.

"What can we do?" he says back, shrugging.

"This is crazy." I say, standing up.

"This is like a band dream." Austin agrees.

"I have to go home." I tell him.

He stands up and nods, "I should too. Can I call you later?" he asks.

I nod as he hands me his phone. I type in my number quickly and turn around, jogging towards my house. It's about ten minutes from the school, so I'll be there fast. But is it terrible that the world is going to end in a month but the only thing on my mind right now is why did Austin decide to ask me for my number _now_?

**Author's Note:**

Here's the first part of chapter one! I hope you like my idea and story so far! :) thanks for reading.


	2. Chapter 1, part 2

**Chapter One, Part Two:**

I run through my front door, slamming it loudly behind me. I'm completely out of breath by the time I make it to my kitchen, where my father is seated at our kitchen table in front of our old little television. His eyes are glued to the screen, which is showing a news anchor, smiling a fake smile like his job even matters anymore.

I throw my useless school bag onto the bench near the back door and stare at my father, waiting for him to talk, or even respond to my presence, but he doesn't. He just sits there; staring at the screen like it's hypnotizing him. I walk over and wave my hand in front of his face, "Earth to dad." I say loudly. He jumps back slightly, like he really didn't know I was there. I'd be insulted if it wasn't for the whole world ending thing. I can see where that would screw with your emotions.

He stands up and embraces me in a very tight hug. I didn't really expect it, so my reaction to hug him back is delayed. His breathing is fast and heavy, like he'd just been running too, "This is terrible." He says quietly.

"I know." I reply.

We break apart and he sits back down, staring yet again at the tiny screen. I walk over to the refrigerator and grab a soda out of it. I walk over and take a seat next to him, "I'm having trouble comprehending it. It just doesn't seem real." I say.

"It really doesn't. This isn't going to be good, people are going to lose it, start robbing place and such." He says as the news switches over to some Wal-Mart being completely torn apart in a few states over. He's right, and that's something I never thought of. Since nothing is going to matter at the end of the month, people are going to go completely crazy, and think they can do whatever they want.

"So people are basically going to kill each other out of stupidity before they even get a chance to die." I say out loud.

"I think some people rather go before the world ends." He says, shrugging.

"What are we going to do?" I ask.

"There isn't anything we can do Ally, as much as it breaks my heart having to tell you that."

I nod and take another sip of my soda. He's right though; there isn't a thing anyone can do about this. Apparently they tried to stop it but it can't be done. So this is it. We just have to wait around for it, and that sounds awful.

I stand up and pat my father on the shoulder without saying a word. He smiles slightly at me before turning back to the television. I walk upstairs to my room and sit on my fuzzy pink bean bag chair. It's always felt so comfortable to me, but right now I feel anything but comfortable. I don't feel good or safe anywhere I am right now.

Suddenly, my phone starts to vibrate from the pocket of my shorts. I pull it out and answer, "Hello?"

"Hey Ally." Austin's voice says from the other end. I look over at the clock on my wall; it only took him an hour to call me. Well, I guess we don't really have time to waste anymore.

"Hello." I say calmly.

"How was your talk with your dad?" He asks.

I shrug, but then realize that he obviously can't see it, "Okay, strange, ridiculous, a million different things." I say.

"Yeah that's how the talk with my parents went."

"I just hate sitting here thinking about it, but I don't see how I can stop." I say.

"Do you want to go get some ice cream? We might be able to get it for free." He says, half laughing.

I smile slightly at the dark humor in that sentence, "Sure, what the hell, why not?" Confident Ally mind as well happen now, because I don't time to work on it anymore.

"Okay, meet me at the park." He says and that's how our conversation ends.

I tell my father where I'm going, and then head off to the park. As I walk over, I realize I see no people around and everything seems silent, like someone hit the mute button. Yes, I think of life as a huge remote it seems like. But really, the silence is extremely eerie.

By the time I get to one of the benches, Austin is already seated, patiently waiting for me. He stands up when I finally reach him and smiles big, "Hey." He says.

"Hello." I say back shyly. Well so much for confident Ally. But I can't help that when I'm around Austin, especially when he smiles at me. I know we are friends and all, but seriously, his smile is breathtaking.

We walk in silence over to ice cream shop 'Sally's'. When we finally get there, the lights are off and it's completely empty. I look at Austin but he just stares into the shop, "I guess they had bigger plans than running an ice cream shop until the end of the world." He says.

I follow him over to a lonely picnic table on the side of the building. I just across from him as he shoves his face in his hands yet again, "I was so stupid to think that it would be opened still. Everyone is just giving up everything that they usually do and doing something different. And then there's me."

"What do you mean?" I ask him, studying his facial expressions.

"My parents left." He says lowly.

"What? What do you mean?" I ask.

He shrugs, "Their dream has been to live in Hawaii, so that's how they are spending their last days."

"What about you?" I ask.

"I didn't want to go. That's not my dream. I'd rather live the rest of my life here, familiar places, and familiar faces." He says, shrugging once again. What is he, R from Warm Bodies?

"So they just left you?" I ask, and then realize how awful that question sounds.

"They haven't left yet, they are leaving tonight. I said my goodbyes already."

"That's horrible." I say blankly.

He nods and the silence lingers longer than it should. I decide to force the confident side of Ally out and I get up and take a seat next to him. He looks into my eyes for a few moments and I can see the real sadness deep down inside him. Who wouldn't be upset about their parents doing this to them?

"Are you okay?" I ask him sincerely.

"As okay as I can be considering the whole end of the world thing."

"Ugh, I don't even want to think about it anymore." I say, leaning against the top of the table.

"I wish I didn't have to."

"Do you have somewhere to stay with someone after they leave?" I ask him.

He shakes his head, "Nope."

"So you're just going to be in that house all alone?" I ask, surprised.

He nods, "Yeah, whatever, it will be fun."

"Are you going to throw a bunch of parties?" I ask, punching him in the arm and laughing.

"I was thinking of party of two." He says.

"What do you mean?" I ask, curious.

"Well you can come over whenever you'd like." He says, shrugging once again. But he smiles after.

I smile back, my cheeks turning a shade of pink, "Sounds good."

Before we can continue, a loud crash comes from the front of the ice cream shop. We get up and I follow Austin around the corner. Its two guys, throwing rocks threw the now broken front window. They are caring empty bags and talking amongst themselves. Austin turns and looks down at me, smirking, "So they decide to rob an ice cream shop…. That's an interesting choice." He says.

I cover my mouth to hide a giggle myself. Until I realize that the owner is now walking towards them and they are yelling at each other. I hide myself behind Austin as we watch in horror when one of the robbers pulls out a gun and shoots the poor old man right in the chest. Austin covers my mouth before I make any noise. But before we can do anything, the other guy sees us, "Hey!" He yells, pointing in our direction. Austin grabs my hand and pulls me in the other direction, and we run as fast as we can. We can hear footsteps behind us and I just pray to God that they don't pull the gun out on us. Why would they care if we saw? It's not like we're going to go to the cops.

We don't stop running until I feel like my lungs might burst. When we finally think we're safe, we stop. I grab onto Austin's arm for support in case I fall over, "Oh my god. That was insane." He says.

"Where are we?" I say threw deep breaths.

"Just outside of town." He says.

There are houses all around us, but still no sign of people, "Did everyone just up and leave?" I ask.

"It kind of seems like it, doesn't it? My house is just up that way though."

I follow him up the road and down his long dirt driveway and that's when I realize Austin lives in a huge white old farmhouse, and it's absolutely beautiful. He grabs his house key from under the welcome mat on his porch and I follow him inside. It's even more beautiful on the inside.

Austin shuts the door behind us and guides me into his living room, "Your house is beautiful." I tell him, looking at all of the pictures on the walls.

"Thanks." He says, taking a seat on the couch.

I sit down next to him, keeping a good distance away. I can't stop my eyes from scanning the room, and when I'm finally done, I look to Austin who is watching me. He looks away then and I smile slightly. After a few moments of silence, I realize the time, almost six o'clock, "I should call my dad, he's probably worried." I say.

"Alright, I'll go in the kitchen and make us a frozen pizza or something." He says.

"That sounds great, I'm starving." I tell him as I get my cell phone out.

After I assure him a thousand times that I'm okay, I join Austin in the kitchen who is leaning on the counter staring at the pizza in the oven. I set my phone down on the table and take a seat, "Well I finally convinced him that I was fine."

"That's good; the pizza will be done soon."

After stuffing ourselves with greasy pepperoni pizza and mountain dew, we go back in the living room and just talk for hours and hours, until my father calls me for the twentieth time and I finally have to go home. When my dad pulls into the driveway, he honks twice. Austin walks me to the door, shoving his hands in his pockets, "I had a great time with you today, thank you for hanging out." He says.

I smile up at him, "I had a great time too."

"I'll call you tomorrow?" He asks.

"I'd like that."

Even though our days are numbered, I don't mind that this is how I spent one of them. I saw a different side of Austin today, and I can now say that we're not just school friends. Even though I'm happy about that, I can't stop the lingering fact in the back of my mind as I go to sleep at midnight. Twenty nine days until the world ends…

**Author's Note:**

Wow, 21 reviews on the first chapter already! thanks so much guys. I'm really happy you like this idea :) I will try to update as fast as i possibly can!


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two:**

_29 days until the end of the world._

I started my usual routine when I woke up, only to realize half way through that that wasn't need anymore. In fact, there are a lot of things that aren't needed anymore, and many things that don't seem very important.

I sit down at my kitchen table, playing with my cold waffles that have been drowned in maple syrup. My father sits across from me, as quiet as I am as he sips his coffee. I was surprised he actually had the television off until he told me that no one was doing the news anymore, and that's basically the only thing he ever watches.

"So there's this music store about four hours away that I've wanted to visit for so long but I haven't gotten the chance to, since I've been so busy with the store and everything. Well they are still open, and I was thinking of going there today." My father says, breaking the silence.

I set my fork down and stare at him, "Seriously?"

He shrugs, "Why not?"

"I don't know." I say, "I guess it makes sense. Go if you'd like."

"Well, I don't know if I should leave you here alone. I wouldn't be coming home until tomorrow."

"I can stay the night at Austin's." I blurt out. What the hell is wrong with me?

He raises an eyebrow, "Stay the night at a boy's house, I don't think so."

"Dad, the world is going to end in twenty nine days, what's the worst that could happen?" I ask.

He sighs loudly, "Fine, you're right. As much as I don't want you to, I mind as well let you be happy, you deserve that."

"Thanks dad. Be safe out there though, there's a lot of crazy people." I tell him.

He nods as he stands up and leaves the room. I stay seated and stare at the wall. So I have permission to spend the night at a boy's house, but I don't even know if he wants me to stay. I can't just ask him that, that just kind of sounds weird doesn't it? I guess I'll go with the whole hinting strategy.

I hit Austin's name on my contact list. It rings a few times before he picks up. His voice sounds sleepy and I feel bad because I think I woke him up, "Hey Austin."

"What's up?" He asks.

"Same old stuff, but my dad just told me he's going away overnight, so I'm stuck here by myself tonight." I say.

"Well at least your father is coming home." He says lowly. I feel so bad for him…

"Yeah, but he probably won't end up going if I can't find anywhere to stay." I say.

"You can stay here if you want." He says, his voice starting to become livelier.

"Are you sure you won't mind?" I ask.

"Of course not, I'm alone here anyway. The company will be nice."

"Okay, thanks!" I say, way too cheery than I should have.

After we hang up, I go upstairs to back an overnight bag. I go through my entire closet, trying to find something to wear tomorrow, and some normal looking pajamas. You see my pajama pants are covered in polar bears because I find them very adorable, okay? But I am worried about Austin picking on me for them, so I decide my plain purple shorts and a white tank top will do.

I stuff everything into my Nike sports bag and set it down on my bed. I can't believe I'm spending the night at Austin's. What will we do? Where will I sleep, his parent's room? No, he must have a guest bedroom or something. Is it going to be awkward, or fun? There are so many things going through my head right now that I'm surprised I don't have a pounding headache.

After saying our goodbyes, my father drops me off at Austin's. I walk up to the front porch and before I can knock, the door opens, revealing Austin, his hair in a mess, no shirt and plaid shorts. The first thing that gets my attention in his gorgeous six pack abs, which I had no idea he had. I finally get my eyes to move to his and he smirks, "Sorry, it's kind of warm in here." He says, shrugging.

"That's okay." I tell him, slinging my bag over my shoulder.

"Come on in." He says, waving his arm.

I follow him inside, and he guides me upstairs. After walking down a long hallway, we enter his room, "This is my room, obviously." He says, laughing. You can tell by the mess of video games, clothes and food that it's a teenage boy's room.

He walks out and I follow him to the room right next to it, "This is the guest room, well now, your room." He says.

The walls are a beautiful shade of pink with a flowered border. The bed looks like a queen size, with a cream colored comforter and pillows. It's a thousand times better then my own bedroom, it's simply beautiful. Like his entire house. Why would his parents want to leave this behind?

"You like it?" he asks from the doorway.

I nod as I set my bag down on the bed, "It's beautiful." Kind of like your torso…

"Yeah, it's one of the best bedrooms in the house."

I follow him back out of the room and down into the kitchen. He opens the refrigerator and lingers there for a few moments, "What should we have for dinner tonight?"

"What are our options?"

"Well, we could have more frozen pizza, or some turkey sandwiches, or I could cook up some pasta and vegetables."

"I'll eat whatever." I say.

"So turkey sandwiches it is." He says with a grin as he makes his appearance from behind the fridge door.

I laugh, "Okay, that's fine."

"What should we do until then?" he asks.

"What's there to do around here?" I ask, walking into his living room.

I sit down on one of the antique looking couches as he follows me into the room, "We could build a fort!" Austin says happily.

"What?" I ask, confused.

"You know, get some blankets and make a tent between the couches or something!"

"You mean something I haven't done since I was like six?" I tease.

"Hey, the worlds going to end, we mind as well have some fun now! Relive some childhood memories." He says, grabbing his shirt from one of the chairs and slipping it on. Aw, why did he have to put it back on?

"You're funny." I say.

"Come on Ally." He says, taking a seat next to me, "We can sleep under the fort tonight! I can bring my portable DVD player under there and we can watch movies! And I'll make popcorn!" he says, sounding like a little kid in a candy store.

"Okay!" I say, raising my hands up in surrender, "I'll do it."

"Awesome!" He says excitedly. I've never seen this side of him before, the kid inside him is coming out more than usual, but I don't mind. The whole fort thing actually sounds like fun, but I don't know how I feel about sleeping next to him all night. I mean, do guys and girls who are just friends have sleepovers? Why am I even over thinking this?

After eating our sandwiches, Austin grabs as many blankets and pillows as he can find and throws them between the couches. I watch him put the sheets up and then lay down a bunch of blankets as our 'bed'. After he's done, he runs back upstairs and gets his portable DVD player, and a huge stack of DVDs. I can't help but let a giggle escape when I see the movie on top of the pile. He looks at me and tilts his head to the side, "What's so funny?"

I shake my head, "Nothing, I just didn't expect the notebook to be in your movie stash." I say.

He shrugs, "It's a good movie."

"Yes, it is." I agree.

"But we're going to watch Grown Ups first!" He says happily.

I laugh, "Okay, I'm going to get into my pajamas."

"Okay, the bathroom is at the end of the hallway upstairs." He says as he sits down under the fort.

"Okay gotcha." I say.

I walk upstairs and go into the guest bedroom. I grab my bag and walk into the bathroom. It seems to have an ocean theme, the wallpaper is a deep blue, and the towel and shower curtain has fish and stuff on it. It's really adorable. I feel like his mother really likes to decorate.

After I put on my pajamas and brush my hair once more, I put my bag back in my room and once again join Austin downstairs. I crawl under the fort and Austin's lying on his back, his arms behind his head in his plain white tee shirt and black stretchy shorts, staring at the small movie player, his hair all messy. I don't know what's happening to me, but I just realized Austin is the sexiest guy I've ever met. I've always found him attractive, but for some reason, I find him a hundred percent more attractive right now.

I sit down next to him, keeping my distance. I hug my knees and rest my chin on them. He moves his hands and rests them on his toned stomach, "Do I smell?" he asks.

"What?" I ask, confused.

"I don't know. You are pretty far away from me." He says, shrugging.

"Oh, I don't know, i… You smell really good, I…" I stutter.

He smiles, "Ally, calm down. I was just kidding."

I blush and nod, scooting closer to him. He sets the player on his lap and points it towards me. We watch the movie in silence, unless something funny happens and we burst into laughter. When the movie's over, I hear a rumble of thunder in the distance. Great, I hate thunder.

"It sounds like a storms coming." Austin says as he appears back under the tent with our second bowl of popcorn.

"Yeah it's great." I say sarcastically.

"You don't like storms?" He asks.

I shake my head, "Nope."

"Well don't worry, you have me." He says, smiling.

I smile back at him and our eyes lock. We stay like that for a few moments until he clears his throat awkwardly and sets the bowl of popcorn between us. We both go for a handful of it but instead our hands find each other. We both pull away fast and put our attention back to our next movie, footloose. I thought those cliché cheesy moments when two people's hands touch only happen in movies and TV shows?

A little while into the movie, the storm starts to get worse. I grab a blanket and lie down, covering my lower half. If I was home right now, I'd be hiding under my blanket, but I don't want to look like a complete wimp in front of Austin.

He finishes up the popcorn as the movie ends, but the storm is still getting worse instead of better. I stare up at our blanket ceiling and try to zone it out. I feel Austin move next to me and I turn my face to see him lying next to me, facing me. He smiles, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." I say.

"Looks like it." He says, giggling.

A really loud crash echoes through the whole house, causing me to almost jump out of my skin. I take the blanket quickly and put it over my face. I don't understand why covering myself with a blanket makes me feel safe, but it does.

The corner by my head starts to lift up slowly, revealing a grinning Austin, "You're totally fine huh?" He asks.

I shove him playfully and falls backwards, leaving me in my blanket cocoon, "It's not nice to make fun of me!" I say.

"I'm not! Just come out." He says.

I take the blanket off of me and face him. He puts his arms out towards me and I just look at him, "What?"

"Come here." He says slowly and softly, causing me to get goose bumps. What's he doing?

I freeze, and he gestures for me to come closer again. Oh, what the hell. I inch closer to him and he wraps his arms around my shoulders, pressing me right to him. He rubs my back gently, "You'll be fine, it's just a storm."

I stay still for a while, because I don't understand what's going on. I'm lying in Austin Moon's arms, and he's comforting me. This just doesn't seem like a friend thing. But I can't stay that I mind. His warm arms are actually really soothing, and the loud crashes of thunder are not fazing me as bad as before. He rests his chin on the top of my head, "Just go to sleep." He whispers. My chills are back. What's wrong with me?

My eyelids become heavy, and I fight hard to keep them open, but I'm failing. He rubs the skin exposed on my back with his fingertips. I pull away slightly so I can look up into his eyes. He's looking at me, his expression plain. And that's how we stay, until I drift to sleep.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three:**

_28 days until the end of the world._

The bright sun shines through a small crack in our blanket fort, causing me to wake up. Austin's lying on his back, his arm under my neck as I curl up on my side next to him. I lift my head up slightly to get a look at him; he's still fast asleep. I put my head back down and watch his chest rise up and down, breathing slowly and peacefully.

Sleep just seems like sort of a tease now. I mean, we dream all of this nice stuff, just to wake up and remember that we're going to be gone in less than a month. But, I have to admit that right in this moment, watching Austin sleep with the look of innocence on his face, makes me feel like nothing is wrong, nothing's going to happen, right now for this quick moment, I feel happy.

I close my eyes and focus on the sound of Austin breathing, and the birds chirping outside. What a peaceful moment on earth. It's almost like it knows it's not going to be around much longer, so it's trying to be as beautiful as it can be.

Austin starts to stir, and I roll away from him. I don't know how he'd feel about me still cuddling up next to him this morning. Would he mind? Why would he? He wanted it last night. I lie on my side, my back to him. I feel him moving around even more, followed by his arm hitting me softly on the head and a loud yawn. He's stretching, and it sounds adorable.

"Ally?" he asks.

I turn over and look up at him, "Good morning." I say.

He smiles softly, "Did you sleep okay?" I nod against the pillow, and then shove my face into it so he won't notice my embarrassing little kid grin. Seriously, what is wrong with me?

"That's good. Man, this is a lot comfier than I expected." He says, and I feel him stretch a little again.

I show my face again and smile, "I know. I could stay like this forever."

"Forever isn't that long anymore." He says seriously. I now regret using the term forever, because he's right.

He runs his hand through his hair, making it stick up all over the place. I cover my mouth with my hand and giggle. He looks at me and pouts, "Why are you laughing at me? Am I that funny looking?"

"Actually, you are far from funny looking." I say.

He smiles wide, "is that so?"

"Mhmm." I murmur. You're sexy, gorgeous, cute, etc…

"You're aren't bad yourself." He says.

"Gee thanks!" I say dramatically, taking an extra pillow and covering my face with it.

He grabs the pillow off of me but I grab it again, trying to put it back. We play tug-o-war with it for a few moments until he uses a little more strength and obviously wins. He throws it towards our feet, so I cover my face with my hands, "Ah too much ugly for me to handle!" I shout.

"Oh stop!" He says, grabbing my wrists and trying to pry my hands off of my face, but I refuse to budge.

He rolls over and gets on top of me, straddling me. He tugs at my wrists with full force and puts them up above my head, "Are you done?" He asks as he leans closer to me, using that voice that gives me chills.

Well, holy shit.

"Um yeah…" I stutter.

"That's good." He says, and rolls off of me.

I just lie still, completely frozen. He sits down and looks at me, "You okay?"

"I'm fine." I say.

"Okay, let's have some breakfast!" He says, tearing down the fort completely, letting all the sheets fall onto me.

I fight them off and get twisted in them, and all I hear is Austin laughing, "Yeah so funny." I say as I finally get them off of me.

I follow him into the kitchen and he makes us French toast and bacon. I don't remember the last time I had a nicely cooked breakfast like this. Usually I just grabbed a granola bar or an apple and went straight to school. Sure, I had waffles yesterday morning but those didn't count.

"So, when does your dad get home?" Austin asks as he takes his last bite of toast.

I shrug, "I don't know. I should probably call him."

"It's too bad he's only gone for one night. I wouldn't mind not being alone more often." He says, smiling into his glass of orange juice.

"Well, he let me stay over once, I'm sure he'd let me stay over again. I like to use the whole world is ending thing against him." I say.

"Oh you're evil Miss Dawson, evil." He says, laughing.

"Thank you." I nod and then take a bite of my bacon.

After I get dressed and grab my bag, Austin offers to drive me home. The ride there is pretty normal. I thought things may be a little awkward after our night, but I don't think Austin feels awkward about anything, or at least he doesn't show it.

We pull into my driveway and my dad's car is already there. Austin puts his car in park and I grab my back out of the back seat, "Well I guess he's already home." I say.

"Are you going to ask if you can spend the night tonight?" He asks. Wow, he wants me back tonight already?

"I'll try, and then I'll call you." I say.

"Okay cool." He says, tapping the steering wheel with his fingers.

"Well, thanks for letting me stay; I'll talk to you later." I say.

"Bye Ally." He says.

I get out and shut the door behind me. When I'm about to walk away, I hear his window roll down, "Hey Ally?" He asks.

I turn around and lean into the window, "Yeah Austin?"

"About earlier, the whole you're not bad yourself." He starts.

"What about it?" I ask.

"You're beautiful." He says, smiling shyly.

My cheeks are probably as red as a tomato as I smile and mouth thank you. He smiles and nods as I back away so he can pull out. I walk towards my front door, still smiling. I fear it could be stuck there forever. I can't believe what just happened.

I walk into the door and my smile vanishes as fast as it appeared. There, on the couch, is my father and some woman I've never seen before, totally making out. Can you say disgusting? "Ahem." I say.

They break apart, surprised by my presence. My father stands up quickly and gets himself together, "Oh hi honey!" He says, walking over and giving me a hug. My eyes stay on the random woman the entire time.

When my father finally notices where my eyes are, he clears his throat awkwardly, "Oh, Ally, this is Wanda." He says.

The red headed woman stands up slowly and looks at me as if I may bite her head off. She sticks her hand out towards me and smiles, a fake smile I might add, "Nice to meet you Ally, your father has told me so much about you."I take her hand in mine and shake it quickly. It was all clammy and warm, gross, "Hi." I say back.

"We met at the music store, and we instantly hit it off." He says proudly.

"I see that." I say awkwardly. I feel my breakfast rising in my throat.

"How was your night at Austin's?" He asks.

"It was great." I start. Hmm, maybe I can use Wanda here as an advantage, "Could I stay the night there again tonight? Give you and Wanda some time alone." I say, winking.

"Uh, well… Sure." He says awkwardly.

"How long are you staying, till the end?" I ask her.

Her mouth drops a little at my question, and she shrugs, "Until your father kicks me out I guess." She says smiling. I guess if he really needed a woman before the end she was a good pick. She was younger than him and was actually really beautiful, but something about her seemed fake.

"Well I'm going upstairs now." I announce.

When I get up to my room, I throw my bag onto my bed and text Austin that I'll be over tonight. He responded with a smiley face, which I guess means he's happy about that. I can't help but wonder what's going to happen tonight after everything that happened last night.

I take the clothes from yesterday out of my bag but keep my pajamas in there; they are fine for another night. I grab another outfit for tomorrow and put them in there. I grab my hair brush out of it and set it back down on my dresser. I walk up to my stereo and blast my favorite song Replay by Zendaya, and then go into my bathroom to take a shower.

When I'm done, I throw on my comfortable jeans and a tube top, and brush my hair. I'm tempted to spray on some perfume but I don't want him to think I actually tried to look and smell good for him, because that's not the case at all… right?

I eat lunch with my father and Wanda, and boy is it awkward. I mean, even they act awkward towards each other. I know everyone is going crazy over this, but I didn't think my father would end up being one of them. But I'm not going to complain to him about it, if he wants to spend his last days with some random woman, that's his choice. At least he'll be busy with her and won't hound me about spending time with Austin, because after last night, I think that's where I want to spend most of my time.

Finally, Austin comes over and picks me up. He wanted to meet my father, but I wouldn't let him step foot out of his car. I can introduce him some other time, but right now I wanted to get as far away from him and Wanda as I could, and as quickly as I could for that matter.

"So what are we doing tonight?" I ask eagerly as Austin keeps his eyes focused on the road ahead.

"I'm not really sure actually."

"Do you have any more childhood memories you want to relive?" I ask him.

"Well other than eating a giant pancake, no." He says, sounding way too serious.

I stare at him with a confused expression but he doesn't turn to look at me. "You ate a giant pancake when you were little?" I question.

He laughs, "Well no, but it's always been a dream of mine." He says, taking one hand off the wheel and resting it over his heart dramatically.

"You are so weird." I say.

"Thank you!" He says back sarcastically. Ugh, there is no winning with this boy.

When we get to Austin's house, I put my stuff back on the guest bed and join him in the kitchen. He puts in a frozen pizza and takes a seat with me at the table, "So your dad just brings some random chick home?" he asks curiously.

I nod, "Yeah! I just come home and they're totally making out on the couch, can you say gross?"

He laughs, "So getting laid is on your dad's list of things to do before the world ends huh?"

"Austin!" I say, throwing a grape at him from the bowl on the table.

He continues to laugh and throws it back at me, "You're sick." I tell him.

He puts his hand up to his forehead, "I feel fine actually."

I roll my eyes and groan loudly, "You are such a pain."

When the pizza is ready, Austin eats half of it and I stick to two little slices, and then we clean up after ourselves. I grab a water bottle from the refrigerator while Austin leans against the counter, "So what should we do now?" He asks.

I shrug, "I don't know."

"I guess we could watch more movies." He suggests.

"Whatever." I tell him.

Instead of building a fort again, we just sat down on the couch together and watched Trouble with the Curve, and then half way into The Amazing Spider-Man, we started to get really tired. Austin yawns loudly, and I force myself not to yawn too.

"I'm pretty tired." He says.

I nod in agreement, "Same here."

"Well, we mind as well go to bed then." he says.

We both walk upstairs in silence and stop in front of my door, "Well, goodnight Ally." He says.

"Goodnight Austin." I reply.

He smiles at me, looking very sleepy, before he turns around and heads to his room. I open the door to the guest room and walk over to my bag and take out my pajamas. I don't know why, but I'm sort of disappointed we're not sleeping under the fort again, I really liked it. And the thought of sleeping alone in here tonight sort of freaks me out.

After I slip on my pajamas, I put my bag down next to the bed and jump onto it, slipping under the comforter. The sheets are sort of stiff, and I feel like nobody has ever slept in this bed before. I wonder if they ever had any guests. I wonder what Austin's parents would think of me, and if they'd let me spend the night if they were here. What kind of people are they? Not good ones obviously, if they just left Austin behind like this.

I roll over and try to find a comfortable position but it's not working. It's pretty sad that a bunch of pillows and blankets on the floor felt better than this. I could make my own fort on the floor, but I feel like Austin would come in tomorrow morning and pick on me forever about it.

After a while of moving around, I finally find a sort of comfortable position, and that's when thunder starts. You've got to be kidding me right, another storm? Why does the world have to hate me extra? I mean, we all know it's going to end but it doesn't have to make me suffer with thunderstorms the rest of its days.

One loud crack of thunder and I'm under the blankets completely, thinking about how Austin was making fun of me for this last night. After another rumble that's even louder, I completely freeze, frozen with fear, until I hear the door open, "Ally?" Austin whispers.

"Under here." I say softly.

I hear fast footsteps coming towards the bed and then it starts to sag next to me and I feel the blankets rise. Before I know it, Austin is lying right beside me under the blanket, his face in front of mine, "The storm woke me up and I thought you may be scared so I figured I'd check on you." He says softly.

"Thanks." I say, smiling.

He has no shirt on, that much I can tell, and probably just boxers on. He lifts the blanket off from over our heads and studies my face, "Do you want me to stay with you?"

I nod quickly, "If you don't mind."

"Not at all." He says, fixing one of the pillows under his head.

He lies down on his back, puts his hands behind his head and stares up at the ceiling as the lightning flashes, "I don't know how storms scare you. They're so cool."

I don't reply to him, because I'm too busy staring at him. The way he's laying, plus no shirt on, the blanket stopping at his waist, his bed hair. God, I swear he's an angel or something. Shut up Ally. He turns and looks at me, smirking, "Sorry, I probably should have put some clothes on."

"I didn't complain did I?" I ask, shrugging.

Another loud boom of thunder and I jump, and then I cover my mouth so I don't scream. Austin giggles slightly and rolls over to face me, "Ally, you're fine." He says.

He grabs my waist with one hand and pulls me only a little closer to him. He leaves his hand there and looks into my eyes. I pry my eyes away from his torso once more and look into his. It's almost like a moment we had yesterday.

"Hey, Ally?" he whispers.

"Yes?" I reply.

"If the world was going to suddenly end right now instead of the end of the month, would you be happy that this is where you spent your last moments?" he asks.

I didn't expect him to ask me that, ever. The seriousness in his voice with this question is scary. The fact that the world _is_ going to end is scary. Everything is so scary, but I think the scariest thing is that I knew the answer to his question already, because I've been thinking it. "Yes, I would."

He nods and goes silent. A part of me wanted to say something like 'that's where you say me too, you idiot' but instead I stay as silent as him. Another loud crash of thunder, vibrating the house, appears out of nowhere. I just stare at Austin who smiles softly, "You didn't jump."

"I guess because you make me feel safe." I tell him.

"That's what I'm here for." He says.

I want to ask him what we are doing, what this is, but I'm afraid to. I'm afraid questioning it could ruin it somehow; complicate it even. And for some reason I don't want things to go back to how they were before between us. I like where they are going now, I think… Wherever it is they are going.

Suddenly Austin sits up and leans against the wall behind the bed, "I have a confession to make though. I used to be afraid of storms when I was younger."

I sit up, joining him, "Really?"

He nods, "Yes, and when I was scared I'd crawl into bed with my parents and I'd feel better."

"How did you stop being afraid?" I ask.

He shrugs, "I guess I just grew out of it."

"I wish I had." I admit.

After a few moments of awkward silence, Austin turns and faces me, "Have you ever had a boyfriend?" Well that's a random question.

I shake my head no, but then shrug, "Unless you count this boy Billy in kindergarten, no." I confess.

"I don't think that counts." He says.

"And how many girlfriends have you had?" I ask. I already know of two. There's this blonde girl in my history class, they dated for a few months in the beginning of the year. But everyone was betting when they'd break up, because apparently the girl never had a boyfriend longer than three months.

And then there's Cassidy. They dated a few years back when Austin and I didn't really talk. They dated for at least a year, and I heard they were super close, but I never found out what happened between them. She ended up moving away last year.

"Two." He says. I guess I know of all of them then.

"I see." I say.

"So does that mean you've never kissed a boy?" He asks. Okay, what's with these questions?

"I can't say that I have."

"Yeah, I've never kissed a girl either." He says. I just look at him, trying to see his expression in the dark. It was difficult now that there was no lightening. Surely he is smirking right now or something right? No way in hell he's never kissed a girl.

"You're funny." I say.

"I'm serious." He says.

"I know that you dated Cassidy for a long time. Everyone in the halls would talk about how you guys had sex like every night…" I say awkwardly, but it was really what I heard.

"People like to spread rumors. I always found it funny when I heard that, because she wouldn't even kiss me." He says.

"What about that blonde girl?" I ask.

"I only dated her as a dare; I didn't even want to kiss her." He says.

"Huh, well I guess you learn something new every day." I say breathlessly.

"I guess so. Well I heard you made out with Dallas after a football game this past fall." He says.

I laugh, "He wanted to, but I wouldn't."

"Well why not?" He asks.

"I knew he had this list of how many girls he could make out with within the semester, and I wanted my first kiss to be with someone special, you know? Someone who really liked me, not just wanted to put my name on their list." I say, feeling stupid for admitting it.

"That's actually really cool of you." He says.

"Thanks." I say.

"Well, I guess we should get some sleep." He says, lying back down.

"Yeah, that sounds good." I say.

We lie down next to each other, a few inches between us. It feels like miles away compared to last night, but all that matters is he is right next to me.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four:**

_27 days until the end of the world._

I wake up to an empty space beside me. I roll over and stretch out, yawning sleepily. The sun is shining bright once again. It seems like a routine now, night time it storms, morning time it's bright and beautiful. I don't know how I feel about it just yet.

I roll off of the bed and walk out of the room and into the hallway, only to bump right into Austin whose soaking wet, with his waist wrapped in a towel. He catches me before I fall over, "Whoa there." He says.

"Sorry." I say, embarrassed.

He lets me find my balance and let's go of me, "Don't worry about it." He says.

"I just thought I'd take a quick shower." He says.

"I see that." I say, looking him up and down. Good lord…

He laughs, "Well, I'm going to get dressed, I'll meet you in the kitchen?" he asks. I nod in response as he brushes past me and into his bedroom. God, he's so attractive, I can't stand it. What is wrong with me? Am I attracted to him?

I take a seat at the kitchen table, resting my chin on my hand, elbow on the table. There is an eerie silence in the air, making me think that everyone is this neighborhood just up and left, including all animals. I didn't even hear the birds this morning like I did yesterday.

Austin enters the room in a black tee shirt and ripped jeans; his hair still damp and sticking out everywhere. He smiles at me and walks up the refrigerator, grabbing us both miniature apple juice jugs. He sits down across from me and slides the jug towards me, "So, what should we do today?" he asks.

I shrug as I peel off the lid, "We could go rob some stores." I joke.

"That sounds good! I've always wanted to rob a candy store." He says, playing along.

I roll my eyes, "Of course, a candy store."

"What would you like to rob then Miss Ally?"

"Probably like aeropostale or something." I laugh.

"Of course; it would be a clothing store!" He says, mocking me.

I roll my eyes, "Well anyway, I could use a shower myself."

"You are welcome to use mine." He says.

"Cool, thanks." I tell him.

"I'll think of something for us to do while you're in there." He says.

"Okay." I tell him.

I grab my bag and go into the bathroom. It's still a little steamy from his shower earlier, so I wipe off the mirror with my hand, looking at my reflection. My hair isn't as messy as I thought thankfully. I don't know how Austin stands to see me after I just wake up, it's horrid.

After my shower, I throw on my clothes that I packed and go back downstairs into the kitchen, but Austin isn't there. I walk into the living room and there's no sign of him. I set my bag down on the couch and look around, "Austin?" I yell. No response.

I go into a few other rooms and I still can't find him. I start to panic and go out on the back porch, and he's just sitting there on the steps. I walk over and sit next to him, "Jesus Austin, you scared me."

He laughs, "What, did you think I left you?"

"Well no, but someone could have broken in and did something to you." I say.

"Don't worry; nothing bad is going to happen to me." He says, and then wraps his arm around my shoulder, "Or you."

I smile, "Thanks."

We stay silent for a moment and then I speak up, "So did you think of anything for us to do?"

He takes his arm off of my shoulders and stands up, "Actually, I did." He says, stretching his arm out to help me up.

I take it and he helps me up and his muscles flex, damn he's good, "So what are we doing?" I ask.

"I was thinking a small road trip." He says.

I raise an eyebrow, "Where?" I ask as I grab my bag while we walk through the living room and to the front door.

He shrugs, "Just around town and a little further, see what's going on out there."

"Okay." I say lowly.

"What's the matter Ally? Everyone's just crazy, they aren't zombies." He laughs.

"I think I'd prefer zombies." I tell him as we get into his car.

He laughs, "Right right."

We drive into town, and to my surprise there are some people walking around like everything is normal. Even a few stores are open on Main Street. That actually makes me happy, that there are some normal people out there still, just living their lives like they always have, right till the end.

We drive past the high school and Austin grins, "I don't miss that place."

I don't say anything because believe it or not, I kind of do. I don't miss the people, but I miss the routine of going to school and everything. I miss knowing that everything is going to be the same for many years to come, and now that's not possible. I miss planning out how my junior year was going to be different, too.

Austin pulls over in front of the town park. There are a few families in the park, having a picnic, playing fetch with their dog. Austin looks at me as I watch them with a sad expression on my face, "Are you okay?" He asks.

"I'm fine." I tell him.

We get out of the car and walk in the opposite direction. We walk in silence as I study our surroundings. It's so much better than I thought it was going to be. I guess I lost hope for humanity, but I was wrong. Not everyone goes crazy right? I mean, Austin and I haven't… yet.

"So I could really go for a cheeseburger and fries." Austin says.

"Let's see if the diner is still open."

We walk to the end of Main and sure enough, our favorite diner Birdseye is still open. "Awesome!" Austin says while fist pumping.

I just look at him and his cheeks turn pink, "I'm just really excited okay." He says.

I laugh at him as we enter the diner, which is actually empty, besides the workers. The head waitress walks out from the back room and her face lights up instantly, "Hello kids!" She says.

"Hey." Austin and I both say.

"Take a seat wherever you'd like!" She says.

"Thanks." Austin tells her.

I follow him towards the back of the place and we sit across from each other in the booth. The waitress follows us over and hands us menus, "Whatever you'd like, and it's on the house." She says with a grin and walks away.

"Wow." I say.

"That's awesome!" Austin says.

"Well I guess I'll have to get a large chocolate shake since it's free and all." I say.

"Ah the perks of having the world end." He says, looking over the menu.

"There are so many things wrong with that sentence." I tell him.

"Oh well." He says and shrugs.

Austin orders the deluxe bacon cheeseburger, onion rings and a large coke. I order chicken fingers, French fries and a large chocolate shake. When our food arrives we eat, enjoying what could be our last time eating here. I feel sort of sick to my stomach though, thinking of all this last stuff. I don't want it to be my last; I want it to be my first of many or something.

"This is really good." Austin says.

"I agree." I say, sipping more of my shake.

"I think everything tastes better when it's free." He says.

I laugh, "Except Brussels sprouts, or carrots."

"What's wrong with carrots?" he asks.

"I just don't like them." I tell him.

"Interesting." He says.

The waitress comes and takes our empty dishes. We've been in here for hours and we've been the only customers. She smiles so sincere it makes me sad. I wonder what she's really thinking. Surely she isn't that cheery on the inside. Who could be right now? "I feel sort of bad, should we leave her a tip?" I ask.

"What does she need one for? It's not like any of us need to make money now." He says.

I grab a few dollar bills out of my pocket and set it on the table before we get out and leave anyway. We walk back to Austin's car and get in. He starts the car and looks at me, "Should you go home?"

I nod, "Probably."

"He probably wouldn't let you spend the night again tonight huh, maybe in a few days?"

"Yeah, I think he would get suspicious if I wanted to come over every night." I explain.

"Alright, I'll take you home then."

After we say our goodbyes, I walk inside and brace myself for another horrifying discovery of my father and Wanda, but neither of them is in the living room. I walk into the kitchen and Wanda is sitting at the table drinking a glass of wine and my father is stirring something on top of the stove. He notices me as I walk over to the counter and lean against it. He smiles and continues to stir, "How was your night?" he asks.

"It was fine. How was yours?" I ask, eyeing Wanda.

She starts looking through a magazine and acts like we don't exist, or maybe just acts like _I _don't exist. "It was good." My father says.

"So what's that you're cooking?"

"Chicken stir fry. Looks good huh?" He says, grinning.

"You never cook."

"I know, but hey, mind as well start now right?" He states.

I roll my eyes, "I'm glad the end of the world makes you want to start cooking instead of doing it before instead of us living on take out all our lives."

Wanda looks over at us then and makes a disgusted face, "You guys eat a lot of takeout? That's not healthy."

"Well we're all going to die soon so we mind as well eat as unhealthy as we can!" I say sarcastically and exit the kitchen, going upstairs to my room.

I throw my bag into my closet and climb out my window onto a part of my roof. I go out here all the time and sit, to enjoy the fresh air and just be alone. The view is my back yard, full of woods and trees. I've came out here really early before and seen different types of animals, like deer and an occasion fox. It's been extra quiet lately, and I almost think the animals know something's up too.


End file.
